Steam-trap



(No Model.)

- E. S. NEWTON.

Steam-Trap.

-No. 228,833. Patented June 15,1880.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY NAPETERS PHOTO-UT OGRAPHER. WASHINGYON. ILC.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTQE.

EDWARD S. NEWTON, OF EAST SAGINAW, MICHIGAN.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,833, dated June 15, 1880.

Application filed May 1, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. NEWTON, of East Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Steam-Traps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a vertical section of the valve and casing. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 4 is a detail.

This invention has relation to improvements in means for returning the water of condensation in steam-heating or other pipes to the boiler automatically.

The nature of the invention consists in combining with a steam-tight vessel communicating by a pipe with the water-space of the boiler a valve and valve casing arranged within the said vessel and connected with the steam-space of said boiler, and a float, also within said vessel, and moving vertically upon a rod that is connected to the valve at its upper end, whereby as the water collects in the vessel it raises the float into contact with the upper collar of said rod, raises the valve, and admits steam into the vessel, when, the pressure of the steam in the vessel and boiler becoming equalized, the water of condensation flows from the former into the latter, which, being completed, allows the float to fall and close the valve, thus cutting off the steam.

It also consists in combining with the above a conical headed arm projecting upward from the valve, and having two annular grooves at a distance apart equal to the throw of the valve, which arm passes bet-ween two springgripers on the valve-case, whereby the valve is held stationary until sufficient water has collected in the vessel to cause the float to overcome the resistance of said springs, when the valve will open suddenly and admit steam, and whereby the valve will be kept open until the water has flowed back into the boiler, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A des- (No model.)

ignates a strong close metallic vessel, having at its lower end a pipe, a, leading to the waterspace of a boiler, and at its upperend a similar pipe, a, through which the water of condensation in the steam-pipes flows into the vessel.

B indicates a cylindrical valve fitting snugly within its casing (l, which is also cylindrical. This valve is recessed, as indicated at b, and has in its walls the perforations c and in its exterior walls the annular recesses e, forming with the casing the chambers (1. Between the recesses e the valve B fits against the bearings d of the casing, and when closed closes the ports f f made in the casing-wall, and opening at their outer ends into an annular steam'chamber, g, in the casing-wall, to which steam is admitted from a pipe, G, leading through the wall of vessel A into the steam space of the boiler. Steam has no egress into the vessel A from chamber 9 except when the valve B is raised and the ports ff brought into communication with the annular recesses e of the valve, when it rushes through perforations a into the hollow body of the valve and out of its open lower end into the said vessel. This is accomplished automatically as follows: A metallic rod, D, is attached to the valve B, and extends down into the vessel to its bottom, where its lower end is engaged in a deep step, It, thereon. Upon this rod, which has endwise movement in the step It, and through a guide, It, on the valve-casin g, is a float, Gr, made perfectly water-tight, and having vertical movement between two collars, t" t, thereon. As the water rises in the vessel A the float rises therewith until it comes in contact with the collar-t, when it soon acquires sufficient buoyancy to overcome the weight of the valve and raises it, thus admitting steam into the vessel A. The pressure in the vessel and boiler having become equal, the water necessarily flows back into the latter from the former. As the water subsides the float falls until it is stopped by the collar' i, when, being unsupported as the water continues to fall, its weight closes the valve and cuts off steam from the vessel. It is very desirable that the valve B should not be raised to admit steam until a considerable quantity of water has collected in the vessel j, of the arm k.

A, and that steam should not be cut off until the vessel is entirely empty; and to this end I provide the upper end of valve B with a projecting arm, k, terminating in a conical point, 0, and provided below said point with the parallel angular grooves j, arranged at a distance apart equal to the throw of the valve in its casing or seat.

The arm 75 passes between two springs, S, having each an angular rib, Z, for engagement with the annular grooves j j aforesaid, which springs are connected together at their ends and secured thereat to a metallic base-plate, m, extending diametrically across the valvecasing, secured thereto and provided with a perforation for the passage of said arm. When the valve is closed the angular ribsl of the griping springs S are engaged with the upper annular groove,j, of the arm l0, and so remain until water has risen in vessel A to a height sufficient to impart to the fioatsuch buoyance as to overcome the springs S. The valve is then quickly opened and steam admitted, and the ribs leugage the lower groove, They thus remain until the water has so far subsided as to leave the float practically without support therefrom and resting on the lower collar, 2', when its weight overcomes the spring S and the valve falls, thus cutting off steam. The power of springs S is regulated by means of the clamp-screw s. It will be understood that vessel A must, of course, have an air-vent.

I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to this special form of valve, as its construction may be varied without getting beyond the scope of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for returning the water of condensation to steanrboilers, the combination of the steam-tight "essel A, having pipe a, leading to the water-spaceof a steam-boiler, and pipe to, conducting the water of condensation into it, of a hollow valve, B, having periforations c and annular recesses e in its outer walls, the casing 0, having steam-chamber g and ports ff,- the endwise-movable rod D, secured to the valve and provided with the collars i i, the float applied on said rod and sliding thereon between the collars, and a steampipe, G, leading from the steam-space of a boiler into the chamber 9 of the casin g 0, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a vessel, A, havin g the water induct and educt a a, the valve B, the casing G, and a steam-pipe, G, conveying steam to said valve, of an endwise-movable rod, D, having collars H and secured to said valve, a float, G, on said rod, and movable 6o EDWARD S. NEWTON.

v Witnesses:

ALFRED W. NEWTON, CLARK S. MOMILLAN. 

